User interface with inline customization

• US 8,181,119 B1
• Filed: 06/02/2004
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Ording, Bas
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Orr, Henry
• Application Number:
  US10/859,823
• Time in Patent Office: 2,904 Days
• Field of Search: 715/843, 715/815, 715/845, 715/826
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/451 Execution arrangements for user interfaces

Abstract

A graphical user interface (GUI) having functionality for inline customization is disclosed. A first set of user manipulable elements are displayed within a GUI object. Each of the user manipulable elements of the first set is selectable for display within the GUI object. A selection of a second set of user manipulable elements from among the first set of elements is received. Unselected elements of the first set of elements are removed from the GUI object. The second set of user manipulable elements are displayed within the GUI object. In one aspect, a first user input renders the first set of user manipulable elements selectable for display within the GUI object, while a second user input renders the second set of user manipulable elements unselectable. In various aspects, the GUI object may be a window, a menu bar, or an object that describes properties of a file.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying, using one or more processing units, a collapsed window including one or more selected graphical elements and an expand control, wherein unselected graphical elements are incapable of being displayed in the collapsed window;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, an activation of the expand control;

changing, using the one or more processing units, the expand control into a collapse control in response to the activation of the expand control;

expanding, using the one or more processing units, the collapsed window into an expanded window, wherein the expanded window includes the selected graphical elements and unselected graphical elements;

displaying, using the one or more processing units, an interactive control associated with each selected graphical element and each unselected graphical element;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, a selection of an interactive control associated with an unselected graphical element;

receiving, using the one or more processing units, an activation of the collapse control;

changing, using the one or more processing units, the collapse control into an expand control in response to the activation of the collapse control;

changing, using the one or more processing units, the expanded window into a modified collapsed window, wherein the modified collapsed window includes each graphical element associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein graphical elements that are not associated with a selected interactive control are incapable of being displayed in the modified collapsed window; and

displaying, using the one or more processing units, the modified collapsed window.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein collapsing or expanding the window is performed in an animated fashion.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein dimensions of the modified collapsed window are determined by the selected graphical elements.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, using the one or more processing units, one or more removal controls in the collapsed window, wherein each removal control is associated with a selected graphical element; and

receiving, using the one or more processing units, an activation of a removal control, wherein the activation causes the associated selected graphical element to be removed from the collapsed window using a removal animation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the removal animation includes moving the graphical element into the expand control.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein selecting the expand control facilitates restoring the removed graphical element.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, and wherein the order is maintained when the window is expanded and collapsed.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, using the one or more processing units, a selection of an interactive control associated with a selected graphical element when the window is expanded, wherein the selection causes the selected graphical element to become an unselected graphical element.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, wherein the order is modifiable when the window is expanded, and wherein modifications to the order are maintained when the window is collapsed.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein graphical elements associated with selected interactive controls shift positions in the modified collapsed window.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more graphical elements are customizable using inline customization.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein graphical elements in an expanded window are categorized, and wherein the categorization is modifiable.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein selected graphical elements are associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein unselected graphical elements are not associated with a selected interactive control.

13. A system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including;

displaying a collapsed window including one or more selected graphical elements and an expand control, wherein unselected graphical elements are incapable of being displayed in the collapsed window;

receiving an activation of the expand control;

changing the expand control into a collapse control in response to the activation of the expand control;

expanding the collapsed window into an expanded window, wherein the expanded window includes the selected graphical elements and unselected graphical elements;

displaying an interactive control associated with each selected graphical element and each unselected graphical element;

receiving a selection of an interactive control associated with an unselected graphical element;

receiving an activation of the collapse control;

changing the collapse control into an expand control in response to the activation of the collapse control;

changing the expanded window into a modified collapsed window, wherein the modified collapsed window includes each graphical element associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein graphical elements that are not associated with a selected interactive control are incapable of being displayed in the modified collapsed window; and

displaying the modified collapsed window.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein collapsing or expanding the window is performed in an animated fashion.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein dimensions of the modified collapsed window are determined by the selected graphical elements.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

displaying one or more removal controls in the collapsed window, wherein each removal control is associated with a selected graphical element; and

receiving an activation of a removal control, wherein the activation causes the associated selected graphical element to be removed from the collapsed window using a removal animation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the removal animation includes moving the graphical element into the expand control.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein selecting the expand control facilitates restoring the removed graphical element.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, and wherein the order is maintained when the window is expanded and collapsed.

20. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions configured to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including:

receiving a selection of an interactive control associated with a selected graphical element when the window is expanded, wherein the selection causes the selected graphical element to become an unselected graphical element.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, wherein the order is modifiable when the window is expanded, and wherein modifications to the order are maintained when the window is collapsed.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein graphical elements associated with selected interactive controls shift positions in the modified collapsed window.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein one or more graphical elements are customizable using inline customization.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein graphical elements in an expanded window are categorized, and wherein the categorization is modifiable.

38. The system of claim 13, wherein selected graphical elements are associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein unselected graphical elements are not associated with a selected interactive control.

25. A computer-program product, tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display a collapsed window including one or more selected graphical elements and an expand control, wherein unselected graphical elements are incapable of being displayed in the collapsed window;

receive an activation of the expand control;

change the expand control into a collapse control in response to the activation of the expand control;

expand the collapsed window into an expanded window, wherein the expanded window includes the selected graphical elements and unselected graphical elements;

display an interactive control associated with each selected graphical element and each unselected graphical element;

receive a selection of an interactive control associated with an unselected graphical element;

receive an activation of the collapse control;

change the collapse control into an expand control in response to the activation of the collapse control;

change the expanded window into a modified collapsed window, wherein the modified collapsed window includes each graphical element associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein graphical elements that are not associated with a selected interactive control are incapable of being displayed in the modified collapsed window; and

display the modified collapsed window.

26. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein collapsing or expanding the window is performed in an animated fashion.

27. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein dimensions of the modified collapsed window are determined by the selected graphical elements.

28. The computer-program product of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

display one or more removal controls in the collapsed window, wherein each removal control is associated with a selected graphical element; and

receive an activation of a removal control, wherein the activation causes the associated selected graphical element to be removed from the collapsed window using a removal animation.

29. The computer-program product of claim 28, wherein the removal animation includes moving the graphical element into the expand control.

30. The computer-program product of claim 29, wherein selecting the expand control facilitates restoring the removed graphical element.

31. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, and wherein the order is maintained when the window is expanded and collapsed.

32. The computer-program product of claim 25, further comprising instructions configured to cause a data processing apparatus to:

receive a selection of an interactive control associated with a selected graphical element when the window is expanded, wherein the selection causes the selected graphical element to become an unselected graphical element.

33. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein the graphical elements are ordered, wherein the order is modifiable when the window is expanded, and wherein modifications to the order are maintained when the window is collapsed.

34. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein graphical elements associated with selected interactive controls shift positions in the modified collapsed window.

35. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein one or more graphical elements are customizable using inline customization.

36. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein graphical elements in an expanded window are categorized, and wherein the categorization is modifiable.

39. The computer-program product of claim 25, wherein selected graphical elements are associated with a selected interactive control, and wherein unselected graphical elements are not associated with a selected interactive control.